Stephen Martyak [mär-tak]

​

launched studioTYAK in the fall of 2012. Within a few short months the studio made its presence known on the Boston stage with the opening of The Sinclair, a rock club/restaurant hybrid in Harvard Square by New York-based Bowery Presents, and Boston Chops, an urban steak bistro in city's South End. Stephen was named one of Boston's Hottest Up and Comers by Zagat Boston in their 2013 "30 Under 30" list. Other hits include Dram and Draught, a whiskey bar concept expanding throughout North Carolina; Tradesman, a coffee bar and cocktail concept expanding in the Northeast; El Jefe's, a multi-unit fast-casual taqueria in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; and Loretta's Last Call, Boston's first country music bar, which was named one of the 21 Best Designed Restaurants in the Country in 2015 by Thrillist. Most recently, the studio opened two new live music venues with the Bowery Presents: Roadrunner, a 3,500 person capacity venue, in Boston and Racket, a 650 person capacity venue, across from Chelsea Market in Manhattan.
 
This southern boy, music lover, and longtime foodie is foremost a designer, formally trained as an Architect, with experience in high-end commercial and residential architecture and interiors, as well as lighting, furniture, and graphic design. He gained his early experience at Flavin Architects, a boutique residential firm in Boston and has collaborated with designers from Paris, New York, and Vancouver.  It was later that Stephen discovered his knack for restaurant design and deepened his understanding of the intimate relationship between design and construction while acting as the Director of Design for a Boston-based construction company.

​

In the fall of 2019, Stephen relocated to Hoboken, New Jersey with his husband, providing the opportunity to expand the studio's presence in New York City.